This will be a very short report but with some important issues included.

Canada Day
First of all, I would like to congratulate the organizers and all of the volunteers for yet another successful Canada Celebration! This was by far the best one yet! Keep up the good work, and I look forward to an even more spectacular event next year.

Scallop farm application update
Just to try to keep you up to date on the proposal for an investigative permit for the Cape Mudge band to grow scallops off of I.R. #9 (between Rebecca Spit Park and the private properties to the south), the issue is being dealt with differently then we are used to. A Temporary Industrial Use Permit has been applied for from the Strathcona RD. This happens a number of times a year in Area J for other uses. We normally go to a public hearing on the issue. However, since this application falls within the boundaries of an area that has an Official Community Plan in place, the Local Government Act allows for the permit to be issued by resolution of the Board without a public hearing and a bylaw. A public meeting, similar in format to a public hearing, can and will still be held in the last week of July and you should watch the Hungry Eye and your mailboxes for the date and time, since the next Discovery Islander will not be on the street by then.

I have had numerous "discussions" with staff regarding this issue of process and it looks like the compromise position is to hold the public meeting and then it will go to the Board on July 31st. The public is welcome to attend that meting also. All submissions should be sent to the SRD planning staff for inclusion in the decision making process.

Granite Bay wharf
We have had two very productive meetings with Marine Harvest concerning their donation of floats and many other of the need materials for this major upgrade. I am the project manager and am ding my best to keep everything moving along as fast as possible. We will be meeting again on August 15th (due to some of their staff holidays coming up) and will be in a position to get the work underway by them I hope.

I would appreciate it if you would review my last report in the DI to see what some of the things are that we need donated. I don't want to repeat it all here. Sawmill owners, have a look!... (hint, hint).

Minister's meeting
I have arranged a meeting with our new Minister of Community Services, Blair Leckstrom, for tonight in Victoria, hence the rush I am in right now to get to the ferry. We will be meeting to try to reverse the misguided move by the previous Minister to amalgamate two of the electoral areas in this RD. Areas G and H are slated to become one in November. This will eliminate one more rural director from our Board table and is not acceptable if we want to continue to have our rural lifestyle maintained. So, the full-court press will be applied tonight to try and reverse this decision before it is too late. I have two directors, the Chair of the Board and our CAO going with me as support. More later.

I have to stop here, as we all know too well, the ferry waits fro no one! So, that is it for now. Feel free to call me between the hours of 8:30am and 7pm, Monday through Friday (not on weekends, folks!) at 285-3355, or you can fax me at 285-3533 or you can email me anytime at abramfamoberon.ark.com , or by mail at Box 278 in the Cove, V0P 1N0... Lots of choices!
Respectfully submitted,
Jim Abram
Director, Discovery Islands - Mainland Inlets (Area J), SRD